Middle Creek IA 04-LDM-1103

Assessment Comments

Stream use assessment.

Basis for Assessment

Used a review of the field sheets from the September 1990 DNR stream use assessments to continue to assess support of the Class B(LR) aquatic life uses as FST due to (1) relatively diverse fish communities (species/families: 15/6, 14/6) for streams in the Mississippi River portion of the Southern Iowa Rolling Loess Prairies subecoregion (47f) and (2) presence of a majority of the expected fish taxa (6 of 8) at one site (but only 4 of 8 at the site E of Lakewood).   A fair number of fish species present are more typical of larger streams and rivers (e.g., FW drum, gizzard shad, emerald shiner and smallmouth buffalo).   Despite the assessment as FST, this stream lacks several of the expected taxa, and follow-up monitoring is justified to update the assessment and to better define the status of the aquatic communities.   Field sheets from the 1990 stream use assessments do not identify significant impacts to the aquatic habitats.